Inspector Gadget: The Series
by Knight Writer 95
Summary: Four years after 'Body of Steel' Inspector Gadget continues to fight crime and the occasional corporate conspiracy in 2038 Detroit while attempting to balance his job and personal life as well as the man and machine. All the while an old adversary hides in the shadows, waiting for the right time to strike against Gadget and his friends. Ongoing series.
1. The Ultimate Crime Fighting Tool Pt 1

INSPECTOR GADGET: THE SERIES

Ep. 1: The Ultimate Crime Fighting Tool

Detroit, Michigan. In the year 2038 it's a dystopian metropolis plagued by every kind of crime imaginable from gang violence to corner drug store robberies to drugs. It's hard being a police officer here but it's the job I have. Gangs kill cops here daily but I'm one that they won't get rid of so easily. I'm something different. No matter what the criminal element does I can always be put back together. My name causes even the biggest of crime bosses in this city to sweat in fear because they know it means a nigh unstoppable force is coming to tear apart their world. They can run, they can fight, it makes no difference to me. And even if they do manage to stop me it's only a matter of hours until I'm after them again.

Who am I?

I'm Inspector Gadget, the ultimate crime fighting tool, and I'm here to lay down the law.

* * *

_"__This is Media Net, bringing you the world in five minutes."_

_"__Good evening, I'm Charlie Neumeier with Rachel Fontanna. These are today's top stories. The first EF-1000 came off the assembly line today; it's a prototype car that runs on a bio-fuel made by Archangel Enterprises. They say that this vehicle can travel from San Francisco to Washington DC on one tank."_

_"__On a more serious note, another homeless man has disappeared from our city streets, the eighth in less than a month. The police report no new clues and fear that this is the work of a serial killer some are calling the Detroit Ripper."_

_"__Good news for Detroit today! Archangel has been given the go-ahead from City Hall to implement its plan for a computer that will automate the city's utilities and public transportation infrastructure."_

_"__This just in, a terrorist has taken hostages at a night club in downtown Detroit. We take you live to the scene now with Ray Murray."_

* * *

"Yes, Rachel, I'm here at _The Pulse_, and it's not a pretty picture. One cop killed, several wounded, and inside is Richard Dent, a recently escaped psychopath from the Henry Ford Center for the Criminally Insane. He is currently holding a group of college students' hostage."

"Don't jerk me around chief! Do what I want or I get mad and do something really ugly!" Dent yelled out through a megaphone in the club.

"You know we don't negotiate with terrorists, Dent!"

"We can't get in, chief," informed Ashley. "He's got the place barricaded and his men are guarding the doors with military grade weapons. They'd love for us to try and pull an assault."

"I guess our only hope now is the inspector."

"Chief Steele, perhaps you can tell us what it is that Dent wants. Money? A pardon? An exclusive DNN interview?" asked Ray as he pushed his microphone in the chief's face.

"We wish," the chief sighed before indulging the newsman. "You see, when he was arrested three years ago by Inspector Gadget, he suffered damage to his face in an explosion of his own making."

"So he wants revenge."

"No, he wants Gadget!"

"Listen up Steele! You've got five minutes to bring in the freak before the walls get a new paint job in red!"

Chief Steele was unsure of what to do. He knew that I had received his call but I was on the other side of the city in a normal interceptor while Gadgetmobile was in the garage for repairs after taking a round from a stolen railgun. He was about to call for my ETA when he heard sirens and turned to see an interceptor approaching the scene. What he didn't see was the rocket launcher being aimed out a window at said police vehicle. That is, he didn't notice it until it fired at the interceptor and destroyed it. It was an instant bonfire but no one felt like making s'mores. There was a huge explosion and the chief and Ashley could feel the heat from where they were. Tactics for getting Dent started running through Steele's head when the driver's side door on the interceptor fell off its hinges. A figure emerged from the burning car though the flame and smoke, a figure that was undeniably wearing a long coat with a fedora.

Chief Steele, Ashley, and every other cop on the scene was relieved that I had survived. Dent was as good as incarcerated now. I was none the worse for wear, though there were a few dark spots on my flame retardant coat. I was even luckier that I didn't have any cosmetic damage from the fire.

"All right, here's the situation," Chief Steele started explaining when I reached them.

"You called me. It's bad," I stated.

The compartment in my right thigh opened and I drew my autogun, ready for anything. That was a very good car Dent had destroyed after all. The doors to the club were sealed and barricaded so it would take one of my explosives to get past them.

DEPLOY TACTICAL ORDNANCE_

CHARGE LEVEL: 3

My left thigh compartment opened and I took out the explosive, which was shaped like a hexagon and roughly the size of an air hockey puck. I threw it against the door where it stuck and armed itself. A signal from my CPU was all it took to detonate the explosive and make the doors disappear as fast as you can blink. Obstacle one surmounted, on to the boss level. The inside of the club was dark and smoke from the ordnance was still in the air. As I scanned the room for threats one of Dent's henchmen appeared from behind the counter with a military grade machine gun letting hell loose. Why they continued to assault me with machine guns at most was still a mystery to me. Of course, I didn't want to kill this man so I looked for an alternative. A chandelier was right above him and I calculated that he would survive the impact. A roar from my gun and the goon would be waking up with a headache. The main floor of the club was empty of Dent and the hostages. They were probably in the stock room which was underneath the structure. As I walked down the stairs another man came out of the doors to the store room with a higher caliber gun but it was still ineffective. I targeted the support for one of the lights in the hallway and it swung down to hit the accomplice in the face. Now it was time to face the big boss. I switched to thermograph and confirmed that Dent was in there with the hostages. There were several and he looked like he was preparing his trap. I didn't want to keep him waiting.

"Richard Dent," I called as I threw open the doors and walked into the dim store room which looked more like a small warehouse with all the crates.

"Hey, mish-mash!" Dent said and turned to face me, revealing his face which had heavy scarring and burn marks. I saw that he had been wiring the college students with plastic explosives connected to a remote detonator. Unfortunately the system he was using could not be jammed. I had to get him to bring the remote into the open.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

"No, I want to kill you!"

"Not happening today, Dent," I smirked and raised my gun. "You're under arrest."

"It's too late for that, freak! Look at this face. You did this to me. Every time I look in a mirror I think of you. I don't want to think of you again!" Dent raised his hand, showing the detonator. It wasn't even a dead man's switch. He was getting sloppy.

TARGETING_

A single bullet was all it took. The detonator snapped in two and Dent stumbled backwards, shocked. I advanced and picked him up by the front of his suit.

"What now, mish-mash, police brutality in front of these… juveniles?"

* * *

"Steele to Gadget, come in Gadget. Request sit-rep. Inspector, do you copy?"

"What are you doing? Unhand me you metal monstrosity! Wait, not the face, NOT THE FACE!"

Dent came flying out ruined doors to the club a second later and landed on his back. He was immediately surrounded by officers and his face became covered in red dots from the targeting lasers.

"Uh oh," he muttered as he stared up at the cops.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you by the court," I recited as Dent was hauled to his feet.

"Yeah, yeah, you just got lucky, freak."

"Book him," I said to the other officers before turning to Chief Steele. "The situation is under control, chief."

"Great work, Gadget. It's nice to know we can count on you. All right, let's start cleaning up here!"

"Hey, Ashley? Can I get a ride back to the precinct with you? I've obviously trashed another car," I smirked as I indicated the smoking husk of my interceptor. They never lasted long when I was driving them.

"Sure, partner. Come on, but I'm driving."

"Sheesh, make one mistake and you hear about it for the rest of our life."

"Anyway, nice job," she complimented as we pulled into traffic.

"Thanks, and I got it done in time for my dinner date with Shelby. Sorry about the smoke smell by the way. I'll have to shower before I meet up with her."

"That's alright, I probably smell like it too. How is Shelby?"

"She's great! She's finally got a job at a newspaper which is what she's wanted for quite a while now and it's a reporter position so that's got her really excited."

"Good for her, I'm sure she'll be a sensation. After all, she has a knack for finding stories like you have a knack for finding trouble."

"I can't help it; every big shot crime boss in Detroit wants to see me turned in to spare parts."

"By the way, I took my test for detective this morning. I don't know for sure but I think I aced it. Do you think I'd make a good detective?"

"I don't see why not, part of what you know you learned from me, and I'm a good detective without my gadgets."

"Now I think that's the ego talking."

"I think you're right."

We laughed and the rest of the trip back to Metro South was filled with companionable silence as the towers of Detroit stretched above us.


	2. Part 2

Part 2

It was a big day at Archangel. They were plowing ahead with their plan for Omninet, the computer that would run the city. Today they were being given a presentation by the man responsible for making it a reality, Dr. Erik Frazier.

"As you all know, Archangel is hosting the upcoming ComShare Expo. Of course, we all use the expo as a chance to assess the competition," Calvin King told the other executives present in the board room. "And this year we'll have something that will keep Apple, Microsoft, Dell, and all the others talking for months. Slade?"

Carter Slade, the vice president of Archangel and the man responsible for bringing Dr. Frazier onto the Omninet project, addressed the assembled executives. "Newton, Galileo, Einstein, Disney, Jobs. These men were geniuses with the credentials to change the world. Cyber Concepts has found just such brilliance in the man it is now my pleasure to introduce you to, Dr. Erik Frazier!"

"Thank you Slade. The main obstacle to running the world properly has been the human element. With humans in the system there are so many things that can go wrong due to our own errors. But with a computer, those mistakes will be virtually non-existent. When my new interface, Neuro-Core, goes online life as we know it will cease to exist. Neuro-Core won't call in sick, go on strike, and will never spend endless hours gossiping around the water cooler.

"It will reduce everything to a binary utopia, yes, no, on, off, black, white, in short, perfection. Automated public transportation will move faster and more efficiently, funds in the right amounts will automatically be sent to the places that need them, like schools, hospitals, and law enforcement. Communication will be cheaper and faster and this investment will save Archangel 4.3 million in the first year alone. It's a bold new world if I have anything to say about it, and we will be visiting it very soon."

At the end of Frazier's presentation the boardroom erupted into applause and Mr. King stood up.

"How soon can you have Omninet online?"

"Well, sir, we're pretty much ready to go as it is, it's just that we still have a few bugs to work out of the system," Slade answered before turning to his secretary. "Ms. Knight, when should Neuro-Core be online?"

"Assuming we don't run into anymore setbacks, we should be good to go by tomorrow," answered the lovely bespectacled brunette.

"Good, make sure it's ready in time for the expo. I want to stand at this window and see the city run by Omninet," Mr. King said as he indicated the window that gave a grand view of the bustling metropolis below the Archangel tower.

* * *

"Excuse me, gain way, coming through, watch your feet!"

"What are you doing in my precinct again?" Chief Steele asked as he glared down at the small blonde person running through the precinct.

"You've got to protect me, I'm a witness to a crime! I really am! I saw some bank robbers, at least four! If you don't protect me they'll…" she made a slashing motion across her throat to finish her sentence.

"No way, you're going back to Family Services right now!"

"No, please don't make me, I hate that place! I'll be good if you let me stay, I promise."

"You'll be good? You run away, you tell lies, and you hack computers for fun! What you need is a spanking! Come here!"

"No! Please! Somebody help!" the girl cried out as she weaved her way through the legs of the other cops and people at the precinct.

* * *

"All right, that'll do it. You're functioning at peak efficiency again, David," announced Taylor as she removed the diagnostic cables from my cranial systems interface port. "You just need to rest a while and recharge your power cell."

It was the day after the hostage situation and the skin on my chest had been opened for the repairs and diagnostics. A cable that was charging my batteries was still hooked up to the port underneath the breast plate of my armor.

"We also heard that you ruined another car," Jay added as he looked at some diagnostics on a tablet. "Are there any other problems we should be informed of?"

"Nope."

"Good, 'cause every time you break something we get the blame. Try not to do it for a long while with Gadgetmobile."

"He's back online?"

"We finished him earlier today," Taylor smiled.

"Well that's great, I can't wait to see him again," Ashley grinned as she typed away on one of the computer terminals in my maintenance room. "Yes! Test results are in and I passed with flying colors, thank you very much!"

"Congratulations," complimented Taylor.

"Yes, well done," Jay agreed,

"The force can always use another good detective, and I think you're going to be one of the greats," I added.

"Help me, he's coming to take me away!" The doors burst open and a girl about thirteen years old with blonde hair ran in before taking note of her surroundings. "Whoa, Inspector Gadget! You're my hero. When I grow up I want to be just like you."

It was gratifying to me to know I was having this kind of effect on some of the youth in the city. And I was slightly surprised that she didn't seem to be put off by seeing the metal, wires, and cables that made up my torso now at all.

"Hey, no kids allowed!" Jay warned.

"Ease up, Jay," Ashely shot back. "What's your name? No one's going to hurt you."

"My name's Penny."

"She's a runaway from Family Services," Steele said as he walked in and Penny cringed slightly. "And she's going back there right now. This is a police station, not a playground!"

"No, I don't want to go back there! Please!" Penny begged as she was dragged out.

"Wonder why she doesn't want to go back to Family Services? She seems like a nice kid," wondered Ashley.

"I've seen her around the precinct a few times before. I looked up her file, she's had kind of a rough life since her parent died in a car crash two years ago," I said. "The doctors suspect her compulsive lying is part of the trauma of losing them."

"Poor kid, isn't anyone going to adopt her?" asked Taylor.

"It's anyone's guess, Taylor."

* * *

"No, no! Tell the electricians I want that piece brought in under the under the floor here!"

"Look, doc, I don't care what it takes as long as Neuro-Core is online in time for the ComShare Expo!"

"Well, we still have a problem," Frazier said as he swiped his card to enter the main room of Omninet.

"Geez, this again? How many has it been? Eight?"

"Is it my fault that trial is the say to eliminate error?"

"You know me, I'll do anything to get ahead but isn't this getting a bit out of hand?"

"Oh, come now Carter, the integration of the decision making complexities of the human brain and the computing power of artificial intelligence is a delicate procedure. Now, you know what I need. Just do it. After all, the sooner I get it the sooner you'll meet your deadline," he said and took a syringe out of a case and handed it to Slade.

* * *

Clint Reynolds was on his way back to the homeless shelter when some guys from a gang started chasing him. He was running through an old meat processing plant with the gang behind him in an old car. But he couldn't keep running for long. His legs felt like lead and his heart must have been doing a mile a minute. Finally though, he didn't have to run anymore because he made a wrong turn and came to a dead end.

"Hey, come on. What do want with me? All I got is the clothes on my back," he said as the gang members got out of the car and approached him. "Really, I've got nothing."

The leader of the small band hit Clint in the gut to stop him talking.

"Hey! Ease up, he's no good to Archangel at all if he's damaged," a voice said. Carter Slade stepped out of the shadows a second later. "It's quite obvious that your brain has never been used to its fullest advantage. With that in mind I know someone who will make good use of it."

Slade produced the syringe and injected the substance into Clint through the arm. "Let him go, boys. He won't get far."

The gang members let go of Clint and true to Slade's words he only got a few steps before his body suddenly froze in place.

"He's looking a little stiff," one of the gang snickered and gave Clint a push that sent him down to the ground.

"What did I tell you? If he's damaged Archangel can't use him! Now load him in the trunk!" ordered Slade and removed the small capsule that held the substance from the syringe and tossed it,

The gang grumbled a bit but picked up Clint's frozen body and stuffed him into the trunk of Slade's limo. Unknown to them Penny was hiding nearby and she had seen all of it.

* * *

"C'mon chief, I've seen Clint playing chess on that street corner for the past several years! It's been twenty-four hours and homicide hasn't assigned anyone to the case!" Ashley badgered Steele as he went into his office. "The last time his friends saw him he said he was going back to the shelter. Now to get there he's gotta go through the old meat processing plant!"

"Look, Miller, I knew him too, and it'll be a sad day for crime when you make detective but until then there's a little thing called departmental protocol!"

"If this was some big shot from Archangel the entire station would be on the job, but since Clint didn't pay property taxes nobody cares!"

"Are you getting personal?"

"All I know is that someone should give a damn!" Ashley shot back and stalked out of the office.

Chief Steele took a sip of his coffee and cringed when he found that it had gone cold. He got back up to get another cup when he heard a familiar voice in the crowd.

"I saw him, I saw him! I know who did it!" Penny shouted as she ran up to the chief.

"Did what?" he asked with a long suffering sigh.

"The Detroit Ripper, I saw him, I really did! He was wearing a suit, had a syringe like doctors use and he had three accomplices! You've got to believe me!"

"Well, I'm impressed. You're a good witness. Come over here, I've got some mug shots. I want you to look at them and tell me if you recognize anyone."

Chief Steele reached for a thick book on a desk but as soon as Penny was within reach he grabbed her by the arm "You should be ashamed of yourself, lying about other people's bad luck like that!" he admonished as he put her fingers in a restraint.

"But I'm not lying, really!"

But the chief wasn't listening. "All right, which one of you is going to take her back to Family Services?"

The other officers present suddenly departed for patrol or got very busy very fast.

"Hey, Gadget! I got a job for you!" he called as I was walking out to Gadgetmobile for patrol.

"Trouble?" I asked.

"If she stays on the street, yeah."

I looked down at Penny as she struggled with the finger restraint and I decided to show her a bit of grace.

WIRELESS CONNECTION ESTABLISHED

COMMAND: DISENGAGE RESTRAINT

The restraint let go of Penny's fingers and she returned it to the chief. "I don't want to go back to Family Services. I don't like that place and no one's going to adopt me," she said sadly.

I smiled weakly and extended my hand. "C'mon Penny, let's go."

"Feeling better, Slade?" Frazier asked the VP as he stumbled back into the lab, holding a handkerchief to his mouth.

"Sorry, doc, it's just that when his eyes started staring up at you like that and then the bone drill…" he trailed off.

"As I've explained already, it is important to the process that the subject be alive when the theta waves are transferred."

"How'd it go?"

"Well, the transference of the theta waves to the computer housing was flawless as usual but that has never been the problem. Get rid of the body," the doctor ordered and wheeled the cart holding the brain shaped computer to Neuro-Core.

Slade took another look at the body, couldn't suppress the urge to blow chunks and ran back to restroom.


	3. Part 3

Part 3

Slade hated places like the one he was in right now. He was in a dirty alleyway waiting for the Vandals to show up to take the body. Slade didn't like the Vandals either but they were necessary so he and Dr. Frazier could keep their hands clean. He didn't quite like what they were doing but if it worked it could be a big boost to his career. A battered old car finally pulled into the alley behind Slade's limo and a few of the Vandals got out, including their leader, Shredder.

"The body's in the trunk. Take it and oxidize it at the waste disposal center like the others," Slade ordered as he opened the trunk of is limo.

"You know, normally we hate people like you," Shredder said. "But this is a mutually beneficial arrangement so we can make an exception."

"That's what I like most about money," said Slade as he pulled out a wad of bills and took out five hundred for Shredder. "It makes friends out of almost anyone."

* * *

Penny was not happy to be going back to Family Services but she did enjoy getting to ride in Gadgetmobile. She was fascinated by the futuristic interior and I was just glad that I had thought to lock out the controls when she accidently pressed the button for the turbo-booster. That was one thing we didn't need happening.

"Why won't anyone believe me?" she asked as we pulled into a parking place outside Family Services.

"Because you lied."

"But I didn't! All the time when I come into the precinct I only tell the truth. But the first time I was mistaken and there was no crime happening so they think I'm lying all the time now. I really did see the Ripper and what he did to that old man."

ANALYZING VOCAL STRESS…

CREDIBILITY: 99%-TRUTH

RECORD_

"Tell me what you saw," I asked

"There were some Vandals there, they held the old man while the Ripper gave him a shot. The old man suddenly stiffened up, like he was dead. But he wasn't, his eyes were still moving."

"What about the Ripper?"

"He was wearing a suit, he was tall, but not too tall, and he had brown hair."

"Did he say anything?"

"He said that he needed the old man's brain," she answered, her own brain clearly trying to make sense of the whole thing as well.

"Why?"

"I don't know, he just said it was for Archangel."

_'__Archangel? This could be more serious than I thought.'_

"Do you believe me?" asked Penny, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, I do. You said that you always told the truth, so that makes you a good citizen. I'll walk you into Family Services but then I have to go, alright?"

"Alright, inspector."

As we walked into the building a thought came to my mind and I put away for later. It was something to talk to Shelby about when I got home tonight.

* * *

Ashley had gone back to the meat processing plant where Clint was last seen to do a little investigating of her own. There wasn't much at the scene. All that was lying around was some chess pieces that Clint had dropped, but it proved he had been there. Ashley had played chess with the man before so she knew his pieces. She put the pieces in an evidence bag and was about to leave when something else caught her eye. It was small so she took a pair of tweezers out of her jacket pocket and picked up the hypo cartridge. She stared at it for a second before taking out another evidence bag and putting it in there. She stood up and turned around to see me pulling up behind her cruiser.

"What's up, Ashley?" I asked as I got out.

"Hardly anything, but I found some of Clint's chess pieces and this," she answered as she showed me the bag with the hypo cartridge in it.

"Any idea what it is?"

"I think it's from a syringe."

"That would fit with what Penny told me," I mused out loud.

"Penny? That kid who keeps coming back to the station? What does she know?"

"She saw Clint get abducted. Said the Ripper gave him a shot that caused him to go stiff and that the Vandals were involved."

"That's our first solid lead on this case if she was telling the truth."

"The vocal stress analyzer said her credibility was ninety-nine percent. Right now, though, I'm more interested in what was in this capsule. Gadgetmobile, I got some evidence for you!"

"It's good to hear that we finally have a lead on this case," he said as he opened the onboard mass spectrometer to receive the evidence. A few minutes later the substance analysis was complete.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot identify the substance. It matches nothing in my databanks."

"I thought that you had files on every chemical compound known to man," I said with a confused expression.

"I do, but I have not seen these chemicals in this combination before. I'm afraid that I cannot tell you anything useful."

"That's alright; I think I might have a lead to their hideout anyway.

"You know where their camp is this time?" asked Ashley.

"I have a hunch from this piece of paper I found stuck to the side of an information kiosk," I answered as I pulled out the dirty piece of paper. It was an ad of sorts for recruits for the Vandal gang. There was a phone number and with any luck it would connect to where the gang was hiding.

"GM, I need you to run a trace on this number for me now."

"What's the number?"

"099-8537."

"Running trace… trace complete. The number is connected to the building at the corner of Albers Avenue and Industrial Way."

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Allons-y!"

* * *

The Neuro-Core receptacle was finally plugged in place. It was time for a long held dream to become reality.

"The human cerebral cortex is capable of processing information and learning from its mistakes but a computer is faster and more reliable. So, why not have the best of both worlds?" Frazier said as he turned the system on.

"Yes, yes, yes! It's working! Neuro-Core is online!" he exclaimed as projector grid came to life and the lights intensified.

"Oh, this is great! We'll be online in time for the Expo! I can see my bonus already!" said Slade giddily. "You'll be able to write your own ticket to anywhere you want, doc! A chair at MIT, Science Advisor to the White House! Anything!"

"That's all spare change, Slade. The city of the future will be modeled after New Detroit. Whoever controls New Detroit controls the future. I could even make you number one at Archangel. After all, with Neuro-Core under my control I can do anything!"

While the two men conversed they failed to notice a human face materialize in the projector grid and appear to struggle before disappearing, taking the system with it. The lights dimmed and the humming of the computers stopped.

"Damn it! I though you said this one was smart!" the doctor snapped.

"He played chess, you have to be smart to do that," Slade defended himself. "What do you think went wrong?"

"There's only one answer, a bad brain! He was damaged by neglect and abuse, he couldn't take the load!"

"Well if Omninet isn't online in time for ComShare we're the ones who will be suffering from neglect and abuse! Now what can we do?"

"We need a fresh brain, a young brain, one that hasn't yet been corrupted by the world."

"Where are we going to find a brain like that?"

* * *

Kira Knight was trying to work her way up in the ranks at Archangel. She had taken a position as a secretary for that creep, Carter Slade. Still, he was her boss and with his position he could catapult her to the places in Archangel that she wanted to be. She had just found something in a rival company's programs and wanted to tell Slade right away.

"Mr. Slade, I found something in a program from American Dynamics! Their newest program is plagiarized. They took one of our older ones and rewrote it to make it look like their idea!" she explained as she walked in on her boss and Dr. Frazier. "I'm sorry for interrupting but I thought you'd want to know."

Slade and Dr. Frazier looked at her for a moment before turning around and talking to themselves in hushed voices.

"What do you think?" asked Slade.

"She'll do, here," Frazier answered and gave Slade another syringe.

The two turned back to face the secretary who was completely unaware of the fate in store for her.

"Well done, Ms. Knight, you just earned yourself a bonus," smiled Slade.

* * *

When we got to the old warehouse it was void of the Vandals. We decided that this was probably best and that we should poke around a bit for some evidence. The inside was dark, full of shadows, grungy, and looked like some areas of Detroit. I found a vid-phone on a makeshift desk and accessed its records. The majority of the calls to and from the phone were to an untraceable number. A dead end. Hopefully we could find something else of more use. Ashley was poking around some crates when she tripped on a loose plank and landed on her face. She grumbled to herself, grabbed her flashlight, and was about to get up when her eye caught something that her light was shining on. It appeared to be a human hand.

"David! I think I found something!"

"What is it?"

"Help me move these crates and we'll know for sure," grunted Ashley as she shoved on one of the crates. It took just one big push from me to shove them all aside. Ashely opened the crate she had seen something in and we were surprised at what we saw.

"It's Clint."

* * *

The cryo unit opened and the table holding Clint's body rolled out.

"Cause of death?" I asked after the medical examiners had had a chance to examine the body.

"Well, at first we couldn't find a cause but that was before we looked at the holes that were drilled in his head. It turns out that his theta waves were removed somehow. His brain and nervous system are completely void of neural energy, somebody grafted it," the examiner answered.

"Who could do that?" asked Ashley.

"Only a few people, particularly doctors that study the brain, which would make sense with what we found in his bloodstream. It had traces of Nocortex, a neurological agent that paralyzes the body so patients don't go flipping out on doctors during delicate surgeries. It's a new drug, only got approved by the FDA several months ago."

"That would explain why Gadgetmobile didn't have any record of it, his databanks are updated every six months," I said before I remembered something.

PLAYBACK_

_"__The old man suddenly stiffened up, like he was dead. But he wasn't, his eyes were still moving."_

This information also made me remember something else. It might be possible to ID the killer if I was lucky. I leaned over and looked into Clint's eyes.

"What are you doing?" asked the examiner.

"The last image the deceased sees is often preserved on the back of the retina."

"Then you might be able to identify the murderer?" asked Ashley.

"Unless he was staring somewhere else, then you've got nothing," the examiner remarked.

I ignored the comment and continued with my retina scan. There was an image, but it looked more like a picture of a cell that I had seen in my high school biology text book than anything else. "It's not clear. But it can be enhanced."

"Great, I'll go see if forensics found anything in the crate."

I walked back to my maintenance room and startled Jay who was dozing in his chair.

"What's up, David?"

"A possible suspect in the Ripper murders," I answered as I connected to a computer via the interface jack in the top of my hand. The image I had gotten from the retina scan showed up on the monitor and I went to work.

The cleanup finally got to the point where a face was plainly visible. Now to look for a match in facial records.

SEARCHING RECORDS FOR MATCH…

MATCH FOUND IN ARCHANGEL FILES

Images of the Archangel employees started flying across the screen until the match was found.

FRAZIER, ERIK DR.

RESEARCH: CLASSIFIED


	4. Part 4

Part 4

Dr. Frazier was installing the receptacle with Kira's theta waves when an alarm went off. He rushed to a computer terminal and a warning flashed across the screen.

_ALERT!_

_POLICE INVESTIGATION IN PROGRESS_

_CRIME: HOMICIDE_

_SUSPECT: DR. ERIK FRAZIER_

Frazier was shocked that someone had actually connected the murders to him and entered a question. If he could find out who the investigating officer was maybe he could be bribed.

_Who is the investigating officer?_

_INSPECTOR GADGET_

* * *

Slade was shifting through some paperwork when the vid-phone on his desk rang. He pressed the answer button and Frazier's agitated face appeared on the small screen.

"What's up doc?"

_"__Slade! You're an idiot! You said that you'd take care of everything, well guess what? Inspector Gadget is on the case!"_

"Inspector Gadget? Don't worry, doc. I know the perfect person to take care of him! I'll make all the arrangements, you needn't worry about a thing! Ol' transistor brain won't know what hit him."

* * *

After his call to Slade disconnected Frazier put in another number. The person on the other end answered but no real time picture showed up on the screen.

_"__What is it, Frazier?" _The voice was clearly being disguised with a scrambler.

"We have trouble, Inspector Gadget found something."

_"__Gadget? How did this happen?"_ the person on the other end asked, anger seeping into his voice even through the scrambler.

"I don't know, most likely something to do with Slade. What are your orders?"

_"__This is an unexpected turn of events but maybe we can work it to our advantage."_

"How?"

_"__As you know, Gadget is an old enemy of mine. If we play our cards right we might be able to eliminate Gadget and take over Archangel, but do not underestimate him or Dr. Ramirez and Powell's ability to put him back together. He should have been destroyed the first time we met but he is exceedingly well built. How is the plan proceeding otherwise?"_

"It's going smoothly, boss, and I believe we have a brain that will work this time. Archangel should be yours by the end of the week. But what do you want us to do about Gadget?"

_"__I leave that up to you and Slade. That fool is easy to manipulate and is making a most useful ally of himself. I'm sure that he has something decent planned. But to sweeten the pot, so to say, it might be even more advantageous for us if you found a way to discredit the inspector. I'm leaving this in your hands, doctor. Don't fail me."_

* * *

"This is highly unusual Mr. Slade."

"What's the matter warden? This transfer was approved by Archangel, do you want me to get your boss on the line?"

"Oh, no, that won't be necessary. But just what is it that Archangel is going to do with Richard Dent, Detroit's most dangerous criminal?"

"Dr. Erik Frazier, the famed cyberneticist, has taken an interest in the plight of disturbed psychopaths like Mr. Dent here. With time and special therapy, he might be able to make a meaningful contribution to the community one day," said Slade as he walked a restrained Richard Dent out to his limo along with the warden of the Henry Ford Center for the Morally Challenged and two guards. Of course, his plans were anything but what he just said.

"All right, let's cut to the chase. You wouldn't have gotten me out of there if you didn't want something," Dent said once safely in the limo.

"How right you are. What I want is for us to be friends and to give you a chance to go down in history as the man who killed Inspector Gadget."

Dent, who had been less than interested up until then, suddenly whipped his head around to face Slade, who opened a case in the limo to reveal a rather large gun.

"Fifty millimeter armor piercing Mark III Viper Assault Cannon. It's state of the art, Mr. Dent. So what do you say to my proposal?"

Dent picked up the weapon and looked it over before answering with a devilish grin. "I say… you've got a deal! Let's kill Inspector Gadget!"

* * *

_"__Dr. Erik Frazier the cyberneticist? Are you sure?" _asked Ashley as I talked to her on the vid-phone in Gadgetmobile.

"He was the last person Clint saw."

_"__He's Archangel so be careful, I'm on my way."_

The call ended and I prepared to get out of Gadgetmobile.

"I think you should heed Ashley's advice this time, inspector. Dr. Frazier surely won't hesitate to kill you if given the opportunity."

"I was thinking the same thing. This guy's pretty intelligent so I'm going to play it safe this time," I assured as I closed the door. I had an arrest to make.

Up on the top floor of the Public Works Building Dr. Frazier was planning something to discredit me. He watched the live feed on the monitor of me getting out of Gadgetmobile, took a data-disc out of a case and put into the computer and set it to 'record.'

I stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hall to the main room on the top floor but the doors at the end of the hall opened before I reached them and the suspect walked out. Put defensive gadgets on stand-by.

"Dr. Erik Frazier, you're under arrest," I said.

"Under arrest? What's the charge?"

"Suspicion of murder."

"Murder? Why that's ridiculous, I'm a scientist, my work benefits all mankind!"

ANALYZING VOCAL STRESS…

CREDIBILTY: 20%-LIE_

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you by the court."

Frazier suddenly twisted and cried out as though I had hurt him. "Ouch! No, no, please don't hit me again! That hurts!"

I ignored his antics, cuffed him, and dragged him back into the elevator. I was forcing him into Gadgetmobile when a limo pulled up beside and Slade stuck his head out the window.

"Excuse me, officer. I'd like to report a crime in progress."

"Where?"

"Right where you're standing!"

"Inspector, I'm detecting a heavy caliber weapon in the limo," warned Gadgetmobile.

"Sayonara, Inspector!" exclaimed Dent as he appeared through the sunroof with the assault cannon.

I reached for my gun but was too slow. The cannon fired and the round tore a hole right through the right side of my chest. Static and shifting lines filled my vision as warnings flashed across my HUD.

WARNING!

SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION

SECONDARY SYSTEMS FAILURE_

"Officer down!" laughed Dent as I collapsed.

Slade took out a remote and used it, shutting Gadgetmobile off before he could get away. "C'mon, doc, let's go!"

"What took you so long?"

"Never mind, drive!" he ordered as he and the doctor got into the limo.

* * *

Ashley was shocked when she arrived at the Public Works building to find me sprawled out on the ground with a hole in my chest and Gadgetmobile deactivated. Someone had already found me and called for an ambulance but Ashley knew I would need more than that and called Taylor and Jay. They arrived just as the ambulance did and had me taken straight to the precinct where I was immediately placed in a stasis module. Gadgetmobile only required a systems reset but I was a different story altogether. Shelby had been informed of what had happened and she arrived at the station to find a distraught Ashley, a furious Taylor arguing with someone in a suit, and a nervous Jay working with a group of technicians to keep my condition stable.

"Ashely! I got here as fast as I could, how is he?"

"You'll have to ask Jay but the situation doesn't look very good," she answered Shelby weakly.

"Jay? Is he… is he…?"

"Is he dead?" Jay finished. Shelby nodded mutely. "With the way the suit is talking he might as well be," answered Jay as he indicated the man Taylor was arguing with. "We were able to preserve his organics but it'll cost a fortune to repair the damage and bring him back online. According to the suit, Archangel's not paying."

"That's ridiculous! Just who does he think he is?" Shelby exclaimed as Taylor, looking defeated, walked over to them.

"It's no good, I couldn't talk Mr. Slade into releasing the funds to fix David," she almost whispered.

"That does it, just let me give that stuck up executive a piece of my mind," snapped Shelby and marched towards Slade before anyone could stop her.

"Excuse me? Why is Archangel not paying to save that man? He's done more to fight crime in this city than any other cop in its history!"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Shelby Harder, his wife. Now why isn't Archangel paying?"

"He requires an exorbitant amount of money in replacement parts and to be reactivated. It's simply not cost effective."

"Well as long as you're listening it might interest you to know that he found a lead on the Ripper case. What would you say if I told you that he found evidence linking Dr. Frazier to the homicides?" Ashley butted in.

"I'd say that it's ridiculous, Dr. Frazier is a scientist of unimpeachable integrity!"

"Really? Then could you tell us why the body in the morgue has an image of the doctor on its retina?"

"Bodies? I don't know anything about this. This is just the police trying to blame the victim. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm a Vice President and have other matters to attend to."

"Well he's a real creep," Shelby muttered after Slade left.

"Taylor, do you have any idea what could have done this to him?" Ashley asked the scientist.

"With this kind of damage it would have had to have been a high caliber armor piercing round at close range. Nothing short of at least a forty millimeter shell could have done this to him. But for now it looks like all we can do for him is keep his condition stable and hope Archangel changes its mind."

* * *

_"__Detroit lost a hero yesterday when Inspector Gadget was caught in an ambush by the notorious escaped psychopath, Richard Dent, who remains at large."_

_"__But the cyber cop's illustrious crime fighting reputation was tarnished with charges of misconduct when this video was released by the victim, Dr. Erik Frazier. We should warn more sensitive viewers that discretion is advised."_

"Ouch! No, no, please don't hit me again! That hurts!"

_"__Archangel Cyber Concepts Vice President, Carter Slade, had this to say."_

"This is truly a great tragedy and no one is more shocked by the Inspector's actions than I am. But we should not let this misfortune tarnish what has otherwise been a sterling career."

The phone rang in the Neuro-Core room and Frazier answered it. The screen had only a line on it that fluctuated with the disguised voice on the other end.

_"__Dr. Frazier, I have just seen the DNN report and am most pleased with your results."_

"Thank you, sir. It was surprisingly easy. Slade got Richard Dent out of the slammer and gave him a gun with armor piercing rounds. You should have seen it. I have the entire event recorded if you're interested."

_"__That's an offer that's hard for me to refuse. You've done well thus far, but are you ready for tonight?"_

"Everything is in place. After tonight's demonstration we can heat things up for King and Archangel. One way or another the company will be yours in sixty hours."

_"__Excellent, but what about Gadget? What are the chances of him being put back online?"_

"None whatsoever. Slade is making sure of that personally."

_"__Good, with the inspector out of the way, nothing stands between me and Archangel."_


	5. Part 5

Part 5

It was the night of the eagerly awaited ComShare Expo and the representatives from all the companies participating were milling around on the top floor of Archangel Tower conversing. However, at the Public Works building Dr. Frazier and Slade were arguing while watching the proceedings on a monitor.

"I can't believe you let the police find the body!"

"It was a glitch, a onetime thing. And don't worry, the body and the eye are toast. They can't touch you now without Gadget and he's offline for good!"

"He had better be or we might still end up in trouble, especially me."

* * *

Back at Archangel Tower Calvin King was getting ready for the big moment of the night. He tapped on the microphone he had to get everyone's attention before beginning. "I'm sure that we all have experienced a fair amount of gridlock on our way here tonight."

Polite laughter flowed through the assembled crowd.

"However, what Archangel has invested in represents an end to that. It's a new world that we are entering, a world where devices work like they're supposed to, in the hands of their creators. So without further ado, I give you Omninet. Lights please."

Everyone turned to look out the window as the lights in the buildings and skyscrapers surrounding Archangel Tower went out.

"An entire city under the control of one powerful computer, Neuro-Core."

The lights in the city came back on as the transition to Omninet was completed. The representatives all gasped at the spectacle. This was monumental!

"To the future," Mr. King said as he raised his glass of champagne.

"To the future!" everyone repeated.

"And now, let's give a round of applause to the man who made this possible, Dr. Erik Frazier!"

* * *

"Well you can't say that King doesn't give credit where credit is due," Slade commented as he and the doctor watched the proceedings.

"But his lack of vision is appalling!" laughed Frazier. "He really thinks Omninet was built to operate traffic lights!"

Unknown to the two men the form of Kira Knight materialized in the projector platform behind them. Slade turned around and saw the phenomenon and freaked out to say the least.

"Oh my god!"

"What is it?" asked Frazier as he turned around as Kira's form dematerialized.

"My secretary… my _dead _secretary, I saw her in there!"

"Slade, breathe and listen to me. Men who seek to change the future cannot afford a guilty conscience, all right? It's all in your mind. But now it looks like the show is over at Archangel. I'd say it's time to show Mr. King who has the upper hand in this situation."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see, Slade, you'll see," he smiled as Kira rematerialized behind the two men.

The guests at the expo started filing out through the elevators and the feed switched to one on the elevator security cameras where three people were talking about Omninet.

_"__This Omninet thing looks big."_

_"__Almost too big. We can't even get our prototype to work. I don't know how a second rater like Frazier pulled it off. I don't think I've ever met a more arrogant, pompous, guy. What's his problem?"_

_"__You know his type, got their heads stuck where the sun doesn't shine."_

"That remark will cost you, and it gives me a chance for a demonstration," muttered Frazier as he accessed the controls for the elevator.

The elevator suddenly stopped and its occupants were startled. What had happened? Before one of them could even utter a syllable the lift suddenly started dropping at an accelerating rate. All three occupants held on to the railing inside for dear life but it was useless. Their screams died the instant the elevator hit the ground floor.

"What did you do that for?" asked a shocked Slade once he could talk again.

"It's all part of the plan, Slade, nothing for you to worry about I assure you. You'll go back to Archangel and be my inside man. You will inform me of the board's decisions but if you don't and I get put away because of it, I'll make sure I take you with me. Now you don't speak a word of this to anyone or your next ride in an elevator will be your last."

"Murderers!" a voice yelled.

Frazier and Slade turned around but saw no one else in the room.

* * *

Ashley was in a slump. I was still in the stasis module and she was sitting in a chair right next to me telling me what had happened.

"The case is toast, David. Clint is ashes and so is the eye. We could all use your help right about now."

She stayed for a few more minutes in silence before deciding that she should still try to do something about the case. She got up and went to find Chief Steele.

* * *

"Dr. Frazier, come in. I wanted to thank you personally for that demonstration you did for us last night!" Mr. King greeted.

"Well it was for your benefit," Frazier grinned as he sat down.

"Thank you, thanks to you Omninet is a huge success!"

"Actually, I was referring to the misfortune with the elevator."

"The elevator? Did you have something to do with that?" King asked, his voice taking on an edge.

"Yes, I had everything to do with it!" admitted Frazier and propped his feet up on Mr. King's desk. "I control Neuro-Core, Neuro-Core controls Omninet, and Omninet controls everything in the city. Do you catch my drift?"

"Are you suggesting…?"

"Yes, I am! From now on _I _control the destiny of New Detroit! I am giving you thirty-six hours to draw up the papers to make this arrangement legal."

"Never!" exclaimed King as he stood up to his full height. "I will not allow you or anyone else to usurp the power and respect I have worked so long and hard to gain!"

"Well then," replied Frazier as he got up, a glint in his eyes, "you might want to take the stairs on your way out tonight. Otherwise that may just be your last word."

* * *

"Miller, I am a relatively patient man but you are pushing me to my limit! No judge is going to sign a warrant without evidence, which you haven't got!" Steele grumbled as he was once again badgered by the persistent Ashley.

"Ok then, let's look at what we do have! David said that he had evidence linking Dr. Frazier to the Ripper homicides and there was Nocortex in the capsule I found at the scene. Now that's a drug only a doctor would have access to."

"A doctor like Frazier."

"Exactly!"

"But why would Frazier be going around killing homeless people?"

"If we can figure that out then we'll crack this case wide open. Also, yesterday I ran into this creep called Slade and he gets nervous when I ask him about the doctor."

"Well, I guess that explains this. It looks like you stirred up the hornet's nest at Archangel," Steele said as he handed Ashley a paper.

"C'mon chief, I aced the test for detective!"

"Maybe, but you failed the departmental protocol part. Never ever let the brass know you're smarter than they are!"

"Bull," muttered Ashley as she returned the paper and stalked off.

* * *

"Frazier's computer has locked us out of every system, he has full physical control of the entire company," informed Kenton.

The board of directors was in meeting at Archangel trying to decide what to do after Frazier used Omninet to take over the building.

"What kind of options do we have left?" asked King.

"We could call in the cops but then the SCC would demand full disclosure and we'd have to face the stockholders."

"It's still better than letting Frazier take control of the company and New Detroit," he said in thought.

Before any more options could be brought to the table the bank of TV screens on one of the walls came to life and displayed Frazier's smiling face. _"I hope you all are enjoying day one of my siege, because it's only going to get worse if my demands are not complied with."_

"Surely there's a way to stop him!" exclaimed King as he downed a drink of flavored carbonated water.

The boxes with the manual controls for the TV suddenly overloaded, throwing around sparks and a lot of smoke which startled the board members and set off the smoke alarm and overhead sprinklers. All the members started scrambling for the elevators at once to escape the downpour.

"Wait! Don't take the elevator!" warned King too late as the last of the board got in and the doors closed.

* * *

"Now, let's see how Archangel functions without its executives," said Frazier as he entered the commands to cause the lift to go into freefall before the board members could catch their breath.

At the stroke of a key the elevator started dropping as Frazier watched on the monitor. But before the lift hit the bottom it slowed to a halt and the doors opened, releasing the trapped executives. He tried entering the command again but it didn't work.

"Not this time, Frazier," a voice that seemed to be everywhere said.

The doctor turned around and saw the glowing holographic form of Kira in the projector grid. "Who are you?"

"You know, the least you can do when you murder someone is remember their name," answered Kira sounding a bit insulted. "So technically you should be asking me who I was."

"This is amazing... your brain waves have been engrained into the computer circuits and you, if you can still be called you, are busy performing numerous tasks all over the city as we speak."

"What kind of tasks?"

"Well, you're running the power stations, the transportation systems, traffic lights, you running the entire city!"

"Really? But if my brain waves are in there then where's the rest of me?" she indicated the brain shaped computer.

"Well, you see, with your theta waves extracted from your body it became useless and it was disposed of."

"What? Do you have any idea what I went through to get that body? How I starved myself? I haven't even had desert in a year. When I get out of here… I'm going to KILL you!"

"Well, fortunately for me you can't get out of there."

"Then I'll crash the city board and take me with it!"

"But think of what you'd be doing! There'd be devastating traffic accidents, looting, and chaos! Not to mention all the babies on life support in the hospitals you're running!"

"Babies?" Kira hesitated.

"If you don't believe me check your memory banks."

"You're right; there are currently twenty-six infants in critical care in several major hospitals."

"And their lives all depend on you."

"I'm not going to listen to you anymore! I didn't ask or want any of this responsibility!"

"Look at you, you have more power than any woman who has ever lived and you want to go back to being someone's secretary!"

Kira finally had had enough and her image dissolved.

* * *

"Ashley! Where are you going?" asked Shelby as she jogged up to the detective.

"I'm going to Archangel to see if I can talk to Mr. King directly about getting David put back online. What are you doing here?"

"I came here to see you and now I'm really glad I did. I want to come with you, anything to help David."

"All right, get in the car," Ashley allowed as they walked to her cruiser.

* * *

The board was finally in another session when the doors to the board room opened and Ashley and Shelby walked in, followed by a few security guards.

"We're sorry to bust in like this, I'm detective Miller, a friend of Gadget's and this is Shelby, his wife."

"Wait, wait!" King said to the guards as they tried to remove the two women. "The police are always welcome at Archangel, now what can we do for you, detective?"

"Inspector Gadget has evidence incriminating Dr. Erik Frazier in the Ripper murders, you've got to put him back online or the killer goes free."

"Otherwise my next article in the Detroit News will be very unfavorable of your company," added Shelby for good measure.

"Can a felon own a public company?" King asked Kenton.

"No sir, it's against the law."

King immediately picked up some folders holding legal documents and signed off on them.

"Sir, what are you doing?" asked Slade.

"Archangel will do everything it can to assist the Detroit Police in their investigation, but to protect all Archangel employees, I think it prudent to convince Frazier that he has won."

* * *

The elevator doors on the top floor of Public Works opened and Carter Slade ran out and into Frazier and the two immediately started arguing.

"Doc! We've got big trouble!"

"Wait! You won't believe what I saw!"

"This is important!"

"You need to help me think of a plan…"

"Inspector Gadget is being put back online!"

"Will you be quiet!"

"I don't care what you saw, this is the bigger problem!"

"I said SHUT UP!"

Frazier grabbed Slade by the neck tie and dragged him back into the elevator which took them down to the parking garage.

In the Neuro-Core room Kira switched a monitor to display a live feed of the security cameras in the garage and watched as they got into an unused limo and started talking. She zoomed in on their mouths and read their lips.

"I don't think she'll be able to hear us in here," said Frazier once he sat down.

"Who?"

"Kira Knight!"

"My secretary? We killed her!"

"Not exactly."

Kira continued to watch their conversation through the cameras as Dr. Frazier explained what had happened.

"So you see, what we have here is a unique melding of human and machine, a new form of intelligence!"

"I saw we kill it," said Slade immediately.

"Yes, of course, but the trick is to exterminate the ghost without harming the interface of the brainwaves and computer systems."

"How are you going to do that?"

"Well, I have an idea…"

Unfortunately for Kira, a van pulled up right in front of the camera she was using, effectively blocking her from the rest of the discussion. If she couldn't figure out what the duo was planning then she was finished.


	6. Part 6

Part 6

"Well, we don't know," explained Taylor to Mr. King when he asked if I could be fixed. "The motherboard is shot, we've got to filter out the pulmonary systems but the parts aren't here yet because they have to come from a factory in Europe…"

"Don't forget the frame damage, life support, and new chest armor plate," added Jay.

"But can you do it?" King asked.

"With a bit of luck… yes, I believe we can," Taylor answered.

"Then get to it," he ordered after taking a look at me through the glass of the stasis module.

"All right, you heard the man, let's go!"

* * *

"All right, let's power him up."

POWER ON

REBOOTING

SYSTEM INITIALIZING…

CONFIGURE SYSTEMS…

LOADING PROGRAMS…

PRIMARY SYSTEM CHECK

SECONDARY SYSTEM CHECK

RAM CHECK

MEMORY SET

PARAMETERS SET

SYSTEM BUFFERS ONLINE

LIFE SUPPORT ONLINE

RUNNING SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC…

SYSTEM EFFICIENCY: 100%

SYSTEM ACTIVATED

SYSTEM STATUS: OK_

"OK, he had a rough day, but he's responding now," said Taylor. "We should have him back online in the next sixteen hours, but now he needs a rest cycle."

"So do you," said Mr. King. "We're all pulling for you, Gadget. We're counting on you to set things right."

Static filled my vision briefly before I was powered down for the rest cycle.

* * *

START UP

SYSTEM INITIALIZING…

SYSTEM ACTIVATED

LOW POWER MODE

SYSTEM STATUS: OK_

"Hey, how you doing, transistor brain?" asked Slade as he set down a briefcase in the darkened and empty maintenance room. "It is my understanding that you are in possession of evidence that could lead to the arrest and conviction of Dr. Erik Frazier. That's something I can't allow for the sake of my own career. Let's see what four gigawatts does to help your total recall," he continued as he removed some magnetic clamps from the case and attached them to either side of my body.

My vision swam in and out of focus and static filled it until I was powered off again.

* * *

"All right, turn him on."

"He's on."

My vision came back, letting me see Taylor, Jay, Shelby, Ashley, Chief Steele, and Mr. King.

"How soon after you get the statement can you move on Frazier?" King asked the Chief.

"We've got a judge standing by to sign the warrant right now and a team of officers standing by, it'll be an hour tops."

"Good, bring him up to full power."

My body jerked and the power cable disconnected from the port.

"Hey, how you doing?" asked Ashley as she, the chief, and Shelby got a bit closer.

"Welcome back to Metro South," Steele welcomed.

"It's great to have you back, I was really worried for the past three days," Shelby grinned.

ERROR 24_

"Tell us what you know about Dr. Frazier," King asked.

I remained silent.

"Are you alright?" asked Shelby, everyone starting to look worried.

"Who are you?" I finally asked.

"Ramirez, Powell, what's going on?" King inquired.

"We don't know, all his systems check, there's nothing wrong circuit wise," replied Jay as the two frantically started searching for the problem.

"He's right, it's got to be organic," agreed Taylor.

"Miller, you assured me that Gadget had evidence against Frazier, now what's wrong with him?"

"It looks to me like it's cognitive delta wave degeneration," answered Taylor.

"Speak English!"

"He has amnesia."

"Who am I?"

* * *

"Open this door! Open this door right now!" ordered a frustrated Frazier as he, Slade, and a man with a torch waited outside the armored door to Neuro-Core. "Alright, cut it. Slade, I have designed a virus that will purge Neuro-Core but it will have some side effects, namely wide spread blackouts, burnouts, and a general breakdown of order across the city."

"Don't you think that's a bit rough? I mean, how long will the blackouts last?"

"That depends on how much cyberspace she occupies. Now listen, I am worried that my enemies in Archangel and the police force will use the coming chaos to mount an attack on me."

"What are you worried about? Inspector Gadget is toast, you've won!"

"I don't care, I need some sort of protection!"

Kira had been watching the exchange through the security cameras and was worried. If they uploaded the virus she was dead all over again, this time for good. She needed help. But who… that was it! Inspector Gadget! Slade had implied that I had evidence to convict them. It was her only hope. She disappeared from the grid in Public Works and made her way to Metro South.

* * *

Shelby, Jay, Taylor, and Mr. King were the only ones in the maintenance room when the computer monitors filled with static. The one closest to me seemed to explode with a snap and a mass of particles flew out and took on a human form.

"Oh, hi. I've got some business with the big guy," Kira smiled nervously at the surprised and confused people and indicated me.

"Go ahead," Mr. King admitted once he found his voice.

"Um, hi. This is kind of a strange way to meet, but I have a feeling that we have a lot in common. So let's see what I can do for you," she said and melted into my body.

_"__Wow, someone really messed you up in here. Let's see if I can find the problem… there it is!"_

Kira's form was suddenly ejected from my body as I stood up and the fog in my mind lifted.

"I remember."

"I'm at Public Works; the same guy who tried to kill you is trying to kill me. Please, come as fast as you can."

"I'm on my way," I said and headed for the door.

"Wait, what about Frazier?" asked King.

"Frazier is wanted for murder," I said as I collected my coat and hat from the stand. "By the way, Taylor, Jay, thanks for not giving up on me."

"Wait just a minute," exclaimed Shelby as she grabbed my arm. "I'm coming with you and don't try to talk me out of it! This is a grade 'A' story and I am not missing out on it."

"Fine, but you do what I tell you, alright?"

"Agreed, it's great to have you back," she smiled and kissed me before we departed.

We were heading for the garage when the doors to the precinct burst open and a blonde thirteen year old girl ran into me.

"Sorry, this is an emergency… Inspector Gadget! There's something I need to tell you!"

"It's Penny, right?"

"Right!"

"Alright, Penny, I'm in a bit of a hurry so you'll have to tell me on the way."

"Does this mean I get to ride in the Gadgetmobile again?"

"It does, now let's go. Time is of the essence!"

Gadgetmobile was rearing to go by the time we reached the garage.

"It's great to see you back on your own two feet, inspector," Gadgetmobile greeted as the three of us piled in.

"Thanks, GM, it's great to be back. Now, Penny, what was it you needed to tell me?"

"I saw the Vandals, they said something about going to Public Works and were talking about taking you out."

"Public Works? That's where we're headed. How many Vandals were there?"

"All of them, I think."

"Great, just great," I muttered. "If it's not one thing it's another."

I activated the lights, siren, and turbo thrusters and we were catapulted towards Public Works in excess of two hundred and forty miles per hour.

* * *

The whole Vandal gang was assembled outside Public Works waiting for their orders when Slade came out of the building with Richard Dent. "Boys, this is Scarface, he's in charge."

"Hold on, we don't know anything about this guy. Why should we listen to him?" asked Shredder as he tapped Dent with an aluminum bat.

Dent grabbed the bat and forced it up against Shredder's throat. "Do what I tell you or I kill you, how do you like that reason?"

"Alright, you're in charge. What do you want us to do?"

"I don't care how you do it, but no one gets through that door, understand?"

"Definitely, the cops won't know what hit them."

"Good, now, what do you have for me?" he asked Slade.

"Archangel Security has some light artillery that will make you look like a one man army, are you interested?"

"I'm always interested in bigger guns."

* * *

Kira watched helplessly as the torch finished cutting through the armor door and the two halves fell inward. Frazier entered through the hole wearing a hazmat suit and was instantly attacked by electricity.

"Oh that won't do you much good I'm afraid, this suit is insulated. Now this disc holds a virus that will seek out and delete all non-essential data in Neuro-Core. That's you, by the way," he smiled and fed the disc into a computer.

In the projector grid binary data descended on top of Kira who tried to shield herself but was slowly being forced down onto her knees, her strength fading with each passing second.

* * *

At Metro South the lights in the building flickered and turned off for a second before the sound of the generators kicked in,

"What happened?" asked Steele.

"We have a class five unusual occurrence," answered the bespectacled youth working dispatch. "It's a city wide power failure with major looting potential."

"Then get every able bodied officer in uniform and out on the street, and mobilize the team for Frazier's arrest. Gadget should have an adequate head start by now."

* * *

"Pour that gas on, let's make this work strong!" ordered Shredder as the Vandals built a barricade of cars, wood, sheet metal, barrels, and other odds and ends and soaked it in gas. "We're going to give them hell tonight! If the cops try to get by then dust them! All right, torch it!"

The street gang lit the crude barrier on fire just as a siren pierced the air and a Mustang GT swerved around a corner.

* * *

"Alright, this is it. I want both of you to stay in Gadgetmobile until the danger is over, is that clear?"

"Clear as crystal," said Shelby.

"Clean or dirty crystal?"

"Does it matter?" she asked innocently.

"With you it always does."

"Fine, it's clean."

"Clean it anyway and uncross your fingers."

"What fingers?"

"The ones you have behind your back."

Shelby's cheeks reddened and Penny giggled.

I stepped out of Gadgetmobile and prepared to face the entire Vandals gang. Things were about to get extreme.

* * *

"What's this? One lousy cop? We're gonna kill him!" laughed Shredder and the rest of the gang as Gadgetmobile pulled to a stop.

The driver's side door opened and I stepped out, ready for anything these vandals would throw at me. I closed the door and the compartment in my right thigh opened allowing me draw my auto-gun. It was time to kick some major ass.

"Let him have it!" yelled Shredder and the entire gang started firing.

The guns were all 9mm and .45 caliber rounds and didn't do a thing to my endoskeleton. I advanced and heard Shredder ordering some of the gang to rush me before hopping down from his perch to in between two cars. That was a mistake on his part.

TARGETING

COMPUTE DEFLECTION_

My targeting system calculated the three point deflection I wanted and I fired. The bullet ricocheted off the ground, off a metal barrel, and finally hit the car to Shredder's right in a way that caused the fire in that area to intensify and catch his jacket on fire. No sooner had I done this, though, and I heard the distinct sound of two motorcycle engines and saw them jumping over the barricade towards me. Again, a foolish move. I stepped out of their way and extended my arm to clothesline them. A bit brutal I'll admit but it was effective. The ease at which I had dispatched several of the gang and that their guns had no apparent effect on me caused the rest of gang to try and flee only to be rounded up by the other cops that had just arrived.

I was prepared to enter Public Works when I heard another motorcycle revving up. I turned and saw one with a side car which had a ramrod on it and held Shredder who was firing on me with his submachine gun. It was not a bad tactic but needed to be refined a bit more for cyborgs with pinpoint targeting systems. I targeted the point that joined the side car to the motorcycle and it came loose, sliding towards me and I stopped it. Shredder looked up at me nervously and justly so as I hit him with the side of my gun, rendering him unconscious and pushed the side car back. With no more threats detected on my HUD I used my extension legs to cross the barricade and continued on my way to the doors of the building. But I ran into another obstacle in the form of Dent armed with a double barreled cannon which was mounted to the hnd railing.

"You again? How many times do I have to take you out?"

"You don't want to know, Dent."

"Well let's try to make this the last time, mish mash!"

Dent opened fire and scored a hit to my chest which caused me to fall over before I could get a shot off. The round didn't penetrate my armor but it did leave a mark.

"I'm gonna peel you open like a sardine can!" exclaimed Dent as he continued to fire.

Fortunately the cannon he was using was hard to aim and he kept missing. But he was steadily getting closer. I didn't have much time. I set one of my explosives to a low yield and removed it from the compartment. I threw it at the underside of the balcony Dent was perched on and detonated it, sending the criminal psychopath flying down to the ground.

"You have the right to remain silent," I said as he was dragged to his feet by a pair of cops.

"You just got lucky," he spat out as he was dragged away.

Now that all the obstacles were cleared, I could do what I came here to do at last.

Slade was waiting on the balcony of one of the upper levels inside when I entered the building and sent a warning. "Doc, it's Gadget. He's headed your way."

The final showdown was underway


	7. Part 7

Part 7

"Boss, it's all falling apart! Gadget is here and he's already gotten past the Vandals and Dent!"

_"__I am disappointed in you, Frazier. Do what you can. Should the police take you, I'll make sure your incarceration is not permanent. I may have need of you again in the future."_

I pushed the doors to Neuro-Core open and stepped inside to see Kira's holographic lying down on the projector grip, nearly done for.

"Inspector, please help me," she whispered.

The computers in the room were flashing with the message 'Memory Overload' and one monitor was showing the progress of the virus. I interfaced with the computer to stop the virus.

ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE UPLOAD

SOFTWARE ACTIVATED

While I was tending to the virus a door behind me marked 'High Voltage' opened and Frazier came out, carrying a fair sized electrical cable with him.

"Inspector, look out!" warned Kira.

I turned my head and saw the doctor but I couldn't disconnect from the terminal until the anti-virus software was done purging the system. It was almost done but wouldn't be done soon enough.

"You've ruined everything!" exclaimed Frazier as he approached me and buried the cable against my back.

The anti-virus finally finished and I disconnected immediately and hit Frazier full in the chest. He flew into another computer terminal and fell to the ground while the cable hit another terminal. Suddenly the lights on the floor went out and Kira's image dissolved.

"She's dead," said Frazier. "Technically I had to kill her twice but she's finally dead."

"You are under arrest," I said and approached him.

But before I could take a second step the system rebooted and the lights came back on along with Kira.

"She's back! No!" he exclaimed and ran for an elevator.

"Thanks for the help," Kira smiled.

"Glad to be of assistance ma'am," I smiled back and tipped my hat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to arrest Dr. Frazier."

"Don't worry, he won't get far."

BUILDING OPERATIONS

ACCESS ELEVATOR CONTROLS

In the elevator Frazier was planning how he was going to evade arrest when the lift suddenly went into freefall, stopped a few floors before the ground floor and shot back up just as fast. Kira watched Frazier through the security feed as she played with the lift and laughed to herself.

The cops were finishing stuffing the Vandal gang into the port-a-perp when they heard a noise behind them. They turned around with their guns ready.

"Whoa, don't shoot! Carter Slade, Archangel," he exclaimed with his hands raised.

"Chief, that's the guy I was telling you about, he's Frazier's friend," said Ashley.

"It's him, that's the guy!" gasped Penny after she recognized him.

"That's who?"

"The Ripper, he's the one who gave that man the shot!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," glared Slade. "You're lying."

"I think she's telling the truth," Steele smirked. "Miller, your case your call."

"Thank you chief. You, hot shot, are under arrest for… HEY!"

Slade suddenly pulled a fast one and managed to lock an arm around Ashley's throat and held another syringe close to it.

"All right, nobody move or she gets it!" he warned.

"Drop it!" I ordered as I appeared on the scene after taking the stairs.

"Back off, inspector, or I turn your friend into a statue!"

"Just shoot him, Gadget!"

"Quiet, Tinkerbell!"

That choice of words was a big mistake on Slade's part. Ashley, spited by the name, grabbed her captors arm and twisted it around before jabbing it, and the syringe, into Slade's leg.

"Oh shit," muttered Slade when he realized what he had done. He tried to run but stopped when he realize he had run into the path of an incoming car. "STOP! STO-"

The words died in his throat as he froze up and the car stopped just an inch in front of him. It was Mr. King's limo and got out and stared in shock at his Vice President.

Frazier was still being thrown around like a pinball in the elevator which was still going up and down like one of those slingshot rides at amusement parks. Finally it went all the way down to the ground floor and the doors opened. It took him a few seconds to comprehend what had happened but Frazier crawled hurriedly out of the lift and latched on to the police man who was waiting outside to apprehend him.

"Please, take me away! She's everywhere! Nowhere is safe!" he pleaded.

"And I want to assure you that Archangel does not condone any of Mr. Slade's actions," King explained to the chief.

They were interrupted by a ruckus which turned out to be a pair of cops dragging a panicked and still shouting Frazier to the port-a-perp.

"Well, let's see. I apprehended a dangerous street gang, recaptured the city's most dangerous criminal, stopped a takeover of Archangel and arrested the man behind it, and it's not even nine o' clock yet," I grinned at Shelby.

"And you got me a front page story in the process," she added and kissed me.

"And now, I guess it's time to take you back to Family Services," I said and looked at Penny.

"No! I don't want to go back there!"

"Then I guess someone's going to have to adopt you," I commented as I kneeled down to look her in the eyes.

"Really? You mean it?"

"Of course, if it's alright with you, Shelby."

"David, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course I'm sure! After all, we've been married for a few years haven't we?"

"Well if it's all right with you, I guess I can't argue."

"That's what I'd hoped you say. C'mon, let's go home."

Penny gave a whoop of joy and ran back to Gadgetmobile with Shelby and me following close behind.

Elsewhere in the city someone was not happy with what had taken place. The dim room was illuminated mainly by the small TV screen in the desk the person was sitting at.

"You win again, but I'll get you next time."

The TV showed my face and he smashed it with his hand which was made of metal.

"Next time, Gadget. This is far from over, as you'll soon see. This is just the beginning."

* * *

NEXT EPISODE: OBSOLETE?


	8. Obsolete? Pt 1

Obsolete?

Ep. 2: Obsolete?

Night time in Detroit is always dangerous. Somewhere in the Motor City a crime is happening. An aging man was running through the streets, panting and casting furtive glances back over his shoulder.

"Hey, old man, it' like they say. You can run all you want but you can't hide from the Vandals!" Shredder laughed as he and some of his gang pursued their quarry. He revved the engine, came up right behind on his bike and dealt a blow to the back of the head. The old man collapsed and rolled over, fear in his eyes.

"Is your medical insurance up to date, old man? It had better be!" laughed one of the gang.

"P-please don't hurt me, I've got nothing worth stealing!" begged the man, backing away as much as he could.

CRIME IN PROGRESS DETECTED

ASSAILANTS: 5

IDENTIFYING… VANDALS YOUTH GANG

60-PLUS CHARGES, WANTED COLLECTIVELY AND SEPERATELY_

"We've already been paid for you, now kiss it goodbye!" Shredder laughed as he pointed a sawed off shotgun at the man's head.

"Drop your weapons! You're all under arrest!"

"Huh? Who's the joker?" snarled Shredder. How dare anyone interrupt the Vandals' fun?

"No laughs, I assure you, just the law. Now drop it!"

A shot tore through the air and the rifle flew out of Shredder's hand.

"Frick! It's Inspector Gadget, waste 'im boys!"

The others opened fire but as usual their attempts were futile, the bullets not even managing to penetrate my coat or vest.

"You should have chosen the easy way," I stated as I returned fire, disarming them with alarming speed and efficiency.

"Now then, we've run into each other before so I feel little need to say this but you're all so thick that it'll probably take a considerably long time to sink in. You commit a crime in this city and you've got me on your case and I'll come down with the full force of the law," I spat out while spinning my gun back into its holster.

_'__It cost plenty to hire those Vandals and Gadget I pulping them. It'll be worth it though, Blackstone will pay plenty for this footage!'_

Unnoticed in a connecting alley was a tall man with a camera of some sort recording me and my actions. I was cuffing the gang members and muttering under my breath but Shredder, wasn't finished just yet. Just as I was about to move to cuff him he took his opportunity to seize the old man while my weapon was put away and press a knife to his throat.

"Back off, tin man or he starts breathing through a split jugular!"

91% OF TARGET SHIELDED

TARGETING_

"Think this through, Shredder, you don't want to do this."

"Oh, but I think I do, I really do! And no walking scrap pile is going to stop me!"

"You know, they don't call me Gadget for nothing," I smirked.

A flap in my shoulder opened and a mini dart rack extended out and quickly released one of its four sleeping darts at Shredder who collapsed almost instantly.

"Now, any of you other boys care to spill their guts right now?"

Still hidden in the other alley, the shadow that had been recording me in action decided that he had all the footage he needed. It was time to take care of loose ends.

_'__He's even m_ore _impressive than I'd heard but now it's time I was gone. This little baby will take care of the Vandals and Tarson.'_

The figure in the alley tossed out something oval shaped as he departed.

"Now is one of you going to tell me who hired you to take out this man?" I asked the Vandals after I had cuffed an irate Shredder.

Before they could even spit a shot rang through the alley and the old man collapsed with a strangled cry. My hand went for my auto-gun and I whirled around as fast as my servos would allow and saw a grey oval with a gun hole and sensor strip on the front floating on jets of air.

_'__A smart gun,' _I realized._ 'And my badge says its next targets are the Vandals. Dangerous or not, they're my only clue as to why someone would want that old man dead, if he isn't already.'_

TARGETING_

My gun roared but the smart gun was a fast little bugger and dodged my first shot while still trying to take out its targets. But just as it stopped in the air to target one of the Vandals I fired again and blew it to pieces. I immediately checked the victim and was relieved to find him still breathing.

"Gadgetmobile, call for a medivac at my current location. Someone tossed a smart gun our way and hit the victim. I'm after the perpetrator now."

_"__Affirmative, inspector, the medivac has been requested."_

I advanced further into the alley, turning on my infrared sensors and detecting a single set of footprints fleeing the scene of the crime. It was a pair of male size ten shoes. I followed them until they disappeared where the alley met a street.

_'__He must have had a car waiting for him, there's no chance of following him now.' _

I turned around and walked back to the scene where the paramedics and police had arrived to see to the victim's injury and take the Vandals into custody.

"Excuse me," I sad to the paramedics. "I need to talk to that man."

"Sorry inspector, but he's not talking to anyone until we get him to a hospital. It's a clean wound though so he should be up in a few days."

"Can I see his wallet for identification?"

"Sure, here it is."

Inside the wallet was an ID card naming the victim William Jerome, a former combatant on _Gladiators_, and a broken circuit board, and eighty dollars. None of this was worth killing over, which is what the Vandals were out to do. Perhaps poking around the _Gladiators _arena would turn up some clues.

"Where to now, inspector?" asked Gadgetmobile as I got in.

"We are headed for the _Gladiators _arena. The victim was a combatant there so his job is the logical place to investigate."

"How people can consider _Gladiators _a sport is beyond me. It's just men in insulated suits taking stabs at each other with electrified weapons to try and overload their opponent's suit."

"I know what you mean, Gadgetmobile. I'm more of a baseball person myself."

The _Gladiator _arena was not far from the scene and tonight was the start of the finals, meaning the stadium would be packed. I pulled up in front of the main entrance and walked in only to be halted by the two doormen.

"That's far enough, amigo. If you don't have a ticket you don't enter," said one with crew cut.

"Here's my ticket, I believe you'll find it's an all access pass," I snapped and showed my badge. "And just a reminder, obstruction of an officer of the law is an offence punishable by jail time. I'm letting you off with a warning this time."

"Well… our mistake officer. Go right ahead."

"Thanks," I said tersely and brushed past.

Inside the people were yelling at the top of their lungs as the combatants in the ring battled for supremacy. The announcer's voice rang loud over all the other noise through the arena's impressive speaker system.

_"__Though he's tiring quickly, Danny Blaine is far from finished! He feints, drawing Hugh Cranson on. Oh! Cranson easily parries the blow! He's raising his own taser now… and Blaine is overloaded! I don't think he's getting up after that, folks!"_

ANOLMALY DETECTED!

SUIT INSULATION EFFECTIVE UP TO TWICE THE CHARGE DELIVERED

SUIT OVERLOAD IMPROBABLE_

"This fight was rigged."

It appeared that I discovered why someone hired the Vandals to take out Jerome.

"Don't sweat it, Blaine. A few days in bed and you'll be good as new," said a medic as he tended to the defeated combatant.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, an attempt on the life of someone named William Jerome was made earlier this evening. Do any of you know him?" I asked as I entered the dressing rooms.

"Jerome? Yeah, we know him. He's washed up though, doesn't fight anymore. Works here as a coach now, though. Don't know why anyone would want to kill him, he was a nice enough guy," answered another combatant practicing on a punching bag.

"Did he have any enemies that you were aware of?"

"No, the guy minded his own business once he washed up, he doesn't step on any toes and as far as I know he has no outstanding debts."

"Is there anyone else I can talk to about this?" I asked as I walked over to Blaine's suit and examined its circuitry.

"You might try his former promoter, Derrick Lance."

"Where can I find him?"

"Who knows? The guy gets around but he'll be here tomorrow for the next match. I'm up and am one of his guys. I think it's a waste of time, though. He's not likely to know any more about this attack than we do."

ANALYZING VOCAL STRESS…

CREDIBILITY: 98.8% - TRUTH

"Alright, that'll be all for now, gentlemen. Thank you for your time."

* * *

"What did you find out inspector?"

"Well the other combatants don't know why anyone would want to end Jerome's life but I did discover that someone is fixing the matches in the games. The circuits in the home team's suits have been tampered with. The circuit I found in one of the suits matches the one found on the victim and it was sabotaged as well. The next move is talking with one of the promoters, Derrick Lance."

"And when will we be meeting him?"

"We'll be seeing him at the finals."


End file.
